Ten games to watch

Will Benedictine repeat its
surprising run through the NATHC?Benedictine photo by Steve Woltmann

After a summer of debt ceiling debates,
earthquakes and hurricanes, thank goodness that football is
here.

There will be no shortage of great games in
the Midwest this year. In fact, it was a little bit of a challenge
to narrow these down to just 10 games. Of course, with upsets, new
contenders and falling favorites, these games could dramatically
change in importance.

But as of pre-Sept. 3, here are the 10 games
you may want to keep your eye on in the Midwest as we zip through
the 2011 football campaign – and hope it doesn’t go too
quickly.

St. Norbert at No. 5 St. Thomas, 2
p.m., Sept. 3: Midwest Conference favorite St. Norbert
will try to get off to a strong start hitting the road to St. Paul,
Minn. to take on the nationally-ranked Tommies. An upset would
likely bolt St. Norbert right into the Top 25 and a close game
could give the Green Knights (and the Midwest Conference) some much
needed respectability.

No. 15 Wartburg at Monmouth, 2 p.m.,
Sept. 3: This game marks the return of preseason
second-team All-American Alex Tanney at quarterback for Monmouth.
Tanney has piled up impressive numbers and if he could lead
Monmouth to victory, it could mean instant recognition for the
Fighting Scots and show he’s more than ready to take on St.
Norbert for the MWC title.

No. 4 North Central at Redlands, 7
p.m. PDT, Sept. 3: This one-off game to open the season
pits the Cardinals, who played even with two-time defending
national champion UW-Whitewater until late in last season’s
regional finals, with a program which is always a threat to go to
the playoffs. Since it’s in-region, the chance at a high
playoff seed all but disappears for the team which loses.

Sept. 10: No. 1 UW-Whitewater at No.
24 Franklin, 1 p.m. EDT: Speaking of “measuring
stick” games, try one against the two-time defending national
champion Warhawks. Franklin, favorite to repeat as Heartland
Collegiate Athletic Conference champs, can solidify itself as a
force in Division III with a victory or solid showing against
UW-Whitewater. The Warhawks whipped Franklin 52-21 in the first
round of the playoffs last year.

Sept. 24: Defiance at No. 24 Franklin,
1:30 p.m. EDT: Franklin goes from the hunter to being the
hunted in this HCAC league game. The Defiance Yellow Jackets will
be looking to take the next step toward an HCAC title after going
6-2 in the league in 2010. Defiance returns 18 starters, including
10 on offense, and hope to avenge a 42-7 loss to Franklin last
year.

Oct. 1: Monmouth at St. Norbert, 2
p.m.: Don’t be surprised if this game decides the
winner of the Midwest Conference. But of course, this game has had
a huge bearing on the conference title for quite some time. This
will be Alex Tanney’s last shot at the Green Knights.
Monmouth, with Tanney at quarterback, averaged 41.5 points against
St. Norbert in 2009 and 2008, so bring your calculator to keep
score.

Oct. 1: Benedictine at Concordia
(Ill.), 2 p.m.: The first of several major challenges
Benedictine will face while trying to repeat at Northern Athletics
Conference champions. While Concordia lost some key players on
offense, the Cougars will be at home and have a little bit of
motivation on their side trying to avenge a wild 47-41 Benedictine
victory last season.

Oct. 8: Aurora at Benedictine, 2
p.m.: The second hurdle facing Benedictine will be taking
on Aurora, picked second behind the Eagles for the NATHC title.
Aurora held a 14-7 lead against Benedictine before losing at home
28-21 in 2010. The Spartans hope to use the confidence of knowing
that they can compete and turn it into a victory.

Oct. 29: Chicago at Case Western
Reserve, noon EDT: The Maroons upset then
nationally-ranked Case Western on its way to a University Athletic
Association title in 2010. This time Chicago must travel to
Cleveland to try to duplicate the effort. A victory could pave the
way to another UAA title and maybe even a Pool B playoff berth
depending on how the Maroons begin the season.

Josh McLeod had the ball in
his hands often for North Central last season, picking off eight
passes.North Central (Ill.) photo by Steve Woltmann

Nov. 5: No. 8 Wheaton at No. 4 North
Central, 2 p.m.: The annual battle for the Little Brass
Bell will likely mean the fight for all the marbles again in the
CCIW. North Central went into Wheaton last year and comfortably
beat the Thunder. Don’t think that fact will be lost on
Wheaton as it travels to Naperville, Ill. Expect a hard-hitting,
competitive game down to the wire.

Along with giving you the top games in the
Midwest this year, let’s also take a look at 10 players you
might want to keep your eye on in the Midwest this season as 2011
progresses.

Midwest 10 Players to Watch

John Borsellino, running back, junior,
Benedictine: After losing its quarterback and top receiver
to graduation, the Eagles will look to Borsellino to carry the
load, who averaged nearly 90 yards a game in 2010. The first-team
All-Northern Athletic Conference performer will have help running
behind other first-team all-conference lineman Bryan Wieseman and
tight end Kevin Novacich.

Derek DiNino, defensive line, senior,
Aurora: DiNino, another first-team All-Northern Athletic
Conference performer, will anchor the Spartans defensive line as
Aurora tries to unseat Benedictine for the conference title. DiNino
had 48 tackles and returned one interception 85 yards for a
touchdown last season.

Kyle Fiedorowicz, tight end, senior,
North Central: A preseason first-team All-American, the
6-7, 271-pound Fiedorowicz averaged 18.3 yards per catch last
season as the Cardinals advanced to regional finals. His 78-yard
touchdown catch against Millikin last season was the fourth longest
in school history.

Josh McLeod, free safety, junior,
North Central: A preseason second-team All-American for
the Cardinals, McLeod hopes to create the same havoc he created for
opponents last year. His eight interceptions tied the Cardinals
single-season record. He also made 50 tackles, 29 of them solo
stops.

Jared Millikan, cornerback, senior,
Anderson: Millikan, a second-team preseason All-American,
hopes to duplicate his sensational 2010 season that saw him lead
the nation, regardless of division, with interceptions with 11.
Millikan returned three of those picks for touchdowns. He also made
34 tackles while earning All-American and first-team All-Heartland
Collegiate Athletic Conference at the end of last season.

David O’Rourke, linebacker,
senior, Franklin: O’Rourke, an All-Heartland
Collegiate Athletic Conference linebacker in 2011, will anchor a
defensive that was sixth best against the run last season (68.64
yards per game). O’Rourke was also a beast against the pass,
recording 13.5 sacks.

Dan Sjoquist, defensive back, senior,
St. Norbert: Sjoquist was an All-Midwest Conference
performer last year for the Green Knights, grabbing four
interceptions and making 58 tackles. St. Norbert will depend on his
leadership to help improve a defense that was no better than fourth
overall in the MWC last season.

Alex Tanney, quarterback, senior,
Monmouth: Before an injury ended his season early last
year, Tanney, a preseason second-team All-American, had been
outstanding under center. His statistics are staggering, throwing
for a career 10,382 yards and 119 touchdowns. He is closing in on
the NCAA Division III career marks in both categories.

Nate Williams, offensive tackle,
senior, Chicago: Williams has started every game for the
Maroons on their offensive line and has earned All-University
Athletic Association honors each season as well. His leadership
upfront will be critical for Chicago’s fast-paced no-huddle
offensive that averaged 31.7 points and 364.9 yards in total
offense per game in 2010.

Scott Williams, running back, junior,
Elmhurst: As a sophomore, Williams was one of the
CCIW’s top rushers, averaging 120 yards per game. He also
scored 14 touchdowns while averaging 5.6 yards per carry. Williams
will need to produce again in similar fashion to give Bluejays a
chance in the upper level of its tough conference.

*Hey Clyde, where’s Daniel
Passafiume, of Hanover: Passafiume, one of the leading
wide receivers in the country last year and a preseason first-team
All-American will sit out the 2011 season as he recovers from an
offseason bout with mono.

Clyde Hughes has been writing sports at various times over the past 24 years, covering everything from high school, college and sporting events. A native of football-crazed Texas, Hughes works in Indiana and has written for numerous newspapers and magazines.2003-04 columnist: John Regenfuss